Queen Silvia Visits Swedish Firefighting Crews in Belgium
Photo: TT
Queen Silvia on Monday met the Swedish crews assisting in fighting the wildfires in Belgium. Sweden has deployed two specialised firefighting aircraft to the Hohes Venn nature reserve.
Queen Silvia on Monday visited the Swedish crews assisting in the fight against the wildfires in Belgium. The Queen met personnel from the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) and Saab, who operate two specialised firefighting aircraft in the effort against the fires in the Hohes Venn nature reserve.
Queen Silvia talking with the Swedish crews in front of one of the firefighting aircraft. Photo: TT
The Swedish planes are so-called scooping aircraft, which collect water directly from lakes and drop it over the fire zones. The aircraft are deployed through rescEU, the EU's joint emergency resource, in which Sweden has participated since 2019. The operation takes place within the framework of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, under which Swedish crews train and conduct operations with personnel from other EU countries every year.
The Queen was helped onto the wing to take a closer look at the aircraft. Photo: TT
During the visit the 82-year-old Queen got up close: she climbed onto the wing herself to look into the cockpit and learn how the aircraft operate.
The Queen saw the cockpit and heard how the planes collect water from lakes. Photo: TT
It is not the first time Sweden has come to the aid of other countries in fighting wildfires, and the Swedish scooping aircraft have previously been deployed in several parts of Europe. The wildfires in Belgium have been raging in the Hohes Venn nature reserve, in the east of the country, in August.